Self-locking box.



B. MARTINOJA. SELF LOCKING BOX. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25. 1910.

ErllIIIllIIlllllmmnummn n Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

.COLUa'mm PLANOGRAPH C0., WASHINGTOYN, D. c.

BERNARDO MARTINOJA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SELF-LOCKING BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

Application filed August 25, 1910 Serial No. 578,939.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARDO MARTINOJA,

a subject of the King of Italy, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Self- Locking Boxes, of which the following is a complete and concise description, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawing, which forms a part thereof.

My invention relates to certain improvements in socalled self-locking boxes which are designed for the reception of packages or other household necessities that are customarily delivered at the door-step of the premises, and it is the object of my invention to provide a box or receptacle for the reception of such commodities which is simple in construction, effective in operation and inexpensive in cost of manufacture.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following de scription and accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a view in side elevation partly broken away, of the receptacle showing the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof showing the same with a milk bottle placed therein. Fig. 3 is a front view of the lowerv portion of Fig. 1 showing the door open. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken on line a-a of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the locking slide or wedge.

I have illustrated a box-like receptacle comprising a base -A, sides D-, top M- and door F.

O is a bar permanently secured to the door or support, to which the whole device is intended to be attached.

O- is a bar placed beneath the lid M of the receptacle across its inner edge, and is of such size and proportion as to fit within a mortise in the cross-bar O. At the lower end a bolt P and a lock-slide R- form the means for securing the box at this point to the main door or support.

Within the receptacle I provide a false bottom B pivoted at C, and beneath the same is provided a spring member E which normally bears against the under side of the false bottom B- and tends to hold it in raised position. The

door -F which is pivoted to the top and bottom of the receptacle at Gris provided at its lower portion and near the lower pivot point with an aperture or slot When the door is closed, the slot I is filled up by the piece N which is attached to the side of the receptacle.

The operation of the device is as follows When the box is empty and no weight is resting upon the false bottom B, the spring E raises it up to a position where it is opposite the slot I- in the door F, in which position the door may be opened freely. But when a Weight such as a milk bottle or other article is inserted upon the false bottom B the latter is depressed, and when the door -F is closed the false bottom B drops and the front edge abuts against the lower portion of the door, thus locking it, as shown in Fig. 2, so that it'cannot be opened again until the contents have been removed and the false bottom B has moved up opposite the slot -I, as shown in Fig. 1.

In order to remove the bottle or package within the receptacle, it is necessary to draw the lock latch. -R-, withdraw the bolt P, raise the receptacle bodily until the cross-bar O is disengaged from the mortise of the cross-bar when the whole may be lifted clear and removed from the door or support -X. Thus access may be had to the interior of the receptacle from the rear.

I do not wish to be limited to the application of my invention to a box of the character described, as the same may be and is applicable to controlling doors of houses and other analogous uses. Nor do I limit myself to the exact design, proportion, arrangement or specific details shown, as these may be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention; but

What I do claim as new herein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of a swinging door provided with a eut-out portion at its lower exfill the out-out portion of the door when tremity a spring pressed pivoted bar or plate, closed. 10 one end or edge of which is adaptedto aline In testimony whereof I afiix my signature With the cut-out portion of the door when in presence of two witnesses.

' said door is open, said or plate being BERNARDO MARTINOJA.

adapted when under pressure to engage the -Witnesses: lower extremity of the door when the latter ANTKEO SCI-HAIR, is closed; and a rigid member adapted to HUGO CoLIzzA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

